Day Three of SEC Media Days is upon us! For those of us not in Atlanta, we should be glued to the SEC Network to see these coaches talk. Kalen DeBoer continues to establish himself in Tuscaloosa. Billy Napier is looking to miraculously survive the gauntlet one more time. Jeff Lebby has 57 new faces in his program. And Brent Venables needs the offense to produce in a hurry.
These are some of the overarching storylines as the coaches and teams head into the media car wash. Here are the questions we would ask if we had the chance to sit down with them. Last Word on College Football has your full coverage of SEC Media Days.
SEC Media Days Day Three Questions
Kalen DeBoer
What hasn’t changed?
The Alabama job is one of the most difficult in the country. Following Nick Saban is an unprecedented task. Those were the storylines coming out of Tuscaloosa last year at SEC Media Days. Now, Kalen DeBoer has one season with the Tide under his belt. A relatively disappointing 9-3 record kept Alabama one spot shy of the College Football Playoff in 2024. The upcoming season is a defining moment for the Crimson Tide program. 2025 is bigger than this Alabama team; it tells the tale of the trajectory of the most iconic program in the game. DeBoer will answer questions about the quarterback position and the transfer portal, where the Tide gained 12 but lost 25.
However, the biggest question is, “What remains of Bama’s glory”? DeBoer must continue to establish his program and hold a standard that, although different from Saban’s, produces the same result. Alabama expects the National Championships. Another swing and a miss at the College Football Playoff will turn up the Tuscaloosa heat. Ryan Grubb rejoins his friend DeBoer after a season in the NFL. Is he the secret sauce that can make DeBoer soar for the Tide? Time will tell.
Billy Napier
What is progress?
Florida has one of the toughest schedules not only in the SEC but in the country. Between September 13 and November 15, the Gators face LSU, Miami, Texas, Texas A&M, and Georgia… all considered preseason contenders for the College Football Playoff. So, how will Billy Napier’s squad be measured this year? In the interest of saving his job once again, Napier should hope that the Gators look competitive in all of those games and win their share. Florida managed to squeak out an 8-4 record on a similarly tough schedule in 2024, but eight wins may not be enough to save Napier once again. SEC Media Days will focus on the pressure that is on the shoulders of the Gators’ head man.
The secret weapon for Florida is no longer a secret. DJ Lagway is Florida Gators football. Last season, the Gators found themselves at an inflection point heading into the final three games of the regular season. They were 4-5 with a ranked LSU and a playoff hopeful Ole Miss staring them in the face. If they lost both, they would likely finish at 6-6. Lagway led the Gators to a 4-0 record down the stretch, defeating both SEC opponents, rival Florida State, and Tulane in a bowl game. The quarterback is the rallying point for this team. If they seek to exceed last year’s win total and avoid a regression, they will need Lagway to be dominant most of the way. As a freshman in 2024, he was a 60% passer with 1915 yards, 12 touchdowns, and nine picks. Napier is counting on the leader of his team to ascend in his sophomore campaign. If Lagway dips or doesn’t have any help at all, look for the Gators to press the reset button at the head coaching position.
Jeff Lebby
Do you wear name tags?
Mississippi State lost every SEC game last season on its way to a 2-10 record overall. Now, in Jeff Lebby’s second season, the Bulldogs have major roster turnover once again. Lebby brought in 30 transfers, but also lost 29 players. Building culture takes time. Coaches need more than two or three years, even in the portal era, to fully establish themselves as program leaders. Many coaches can build a roster and get guys competitive for one year with one team. However, most coaches are looking beyond the present moment. At least, the good ones are. Lebby is seeking to build sustained success that carries from year to year. With 30 transfers and 27 incoming freshmen, it seems like nametags might be a requirement even in July.
SEC Media Days will focus on returning quarterback Blake Shapen as the expected starter in Starkville, but Florida State quarterback transfer Luke Kromenhoek is the top portal addition for Lebby and the dogs. The young signal caller played in six games for the Seminoles in 2024 as a freshman. The expectation is that Kromenhoek can be the future for Mississippi State, but the eighth-ranked high school quarterback, Kamario Taylor, leads the incoming freshman class and will use his elite athleticism to compete for the job as well. Don’t count him out, Lebby will not shy away from playing the freshman if he is too good to keep off the field. The quarterbacks are aided by the addition of a handful of receivers and South Alabama star running back Fluff Bothwell.
Brent Venables
What’s the standard?
Like DeBoer, Brent Venables is being questioned about holding up the standard of one of college football’s most historically successful programs. Oklahoma finished its inaugural season in the SEC with a 6-7 overall record and an even more disappointing 2-6 in league play. The schedule is a factor, but that is always the case in the SEC. Venables’ calling card as a successful defensive coordinator was even dampened by the dismal performance of the offense, which kept a talented defense exhausted for much of the season. It appears the seat is hot for the Sooners’ head coach. Now, with long-tenured athletic director Joe Castiglione stepping into a reduced role, a new department head will hold the fate of Venables in his hands.
The Sooners brought in Washington State offensive coordinator Ben Arbuckle, along with Wazzu quarterback John Mateer. Much of the Sooner questions at SEC Media Days will center around these two additions to the Oklahoma program. Venables will have the defense ready to play. The top five receivers will very likely not be injured simultaneously for a second year in a row, and the offensive line could only improve or remain the same as they were last year. That makes Mateer the X Factor. Can he perform in the SEC week in and week out like he did on a pseudo Mountain West schedule? If the results are less than stellar, Oklahoma cannot wait around. A head coaching vacancy in Norman is not unlikely, but the question remains: Where does Oklahoma fit in today’s college football?
Main photo: Brett Patzke-Imagn Images
